Unrequited
by OsricPearl
Summary: A short piece featuring the new character Shiho as she struggles with her feelings for Shikamaru. ShikaShiho
1. Chapter 1 The Request

**AN: I do not own Naruto **

I like to speculate on how the characters will be when they're older, so the characters are about ten years older than they are in the story.

Shiho is very new, so I am taking a few liberties with her personality. Also, Shikamaru hasn't said "troublesome" in the last three chapters. He is a bit different now than he used to be.

**Unrequited**

Shiho's job as a code breaker for Konohagakure was rather boring. Sure, she loved the actual work, but it was sleepy career. After all, it wasn't very common for codes to make their way to the Cryptology squad, giving her long amounts of downtime between rush jobs and hasty decryptions.

Her boss, a grizzled middle-aged man, spent most of his time reading samurai adventures and filing his nails while she indulged in her hidden shame: fanfiction.

You see, Shiho was an avid reader of Manga and was also the vice president of the Konoha Otaku Association. Now, she had never sunk so low as to indulge in cosplay or buy thousands' worth of figures, but this cheeky otaku could not help but write about her favorite Manga, _Samurai Jirobe_.

_Samurai Jirobe _was about a rounin samurai named Jirobe who although was not the strongest samurai, always won by outwitting his opponents. Most of his opponents sneered at him at first, but they stopped laughing once they fell into one of his traps. She had every volume and paraphernalia available to date and Jirobe was her fandom crush.

He was her kind of man. Brains over looks and strength, she would say. Because it was shonen, it didn't contain a whole lot of romance. But there were three main contenders for Jirobe's heart.

The first was a beautiful and vivacious prostitute called Sen, who helped him escape by hiding him in her brothel on one of his first adventures. Although they seemed to be more friends than anything, her beauty and spirit had won her many fans. The JirobeXSen pairing was supported by a little less than half of the fandom (at least by her estimation).

The second and most serious contender was the female rounin, Masako. She was spunky, strong-willed, and very mouthy. Although not as beautiful as Sen, Masako had a charm of her own, besides being full figured. It was a fact that the mangaka emphasized by giving her ample cleavage and showing plently of leg. They had a working chemistry and it was by far the favorite pairing.

The last contender, and her favorite, was Tama. She was a sweet and smart merchant who suffered from unrequited love for Jirobe. It's not as though she was ugly, but she wasn't nearly as beautiful as Sen and did not have the curvy figure of Masako. As expected, the JirobeXTama pairing was the least popular of the three, especially since Tama was a rather late contender.

But Shiho fell in love at once, as she unconsciously reflected all her hopes, dreams, and romantic disappointments on her. So, being the otaku she was, she spent her long hours of downtime at work writing her epic fanfic, "_Shadow and Wind_." There was more to the story than romance, but it featured her favorite long-shot pairing front and center.

Shiho bit the end of her pen as she considered how she would handle this chapter. Sure, it was all outlined, but the details were sketchy. Besides, this was the part where Jirobe finally revealed his feelings for Tama and it had to be done just right. Anything too dramatic and it would be ridiculous. But if it were written too mechanically then the emotional impact would be completely lost.

_Tama was startled awake by a noise from her garden. She peeked out of the window to investigate, which was easy as the full moon shone so strongly, the night was as bright as day. __At first, not a blade of grass stirred. But then a movement caught the corner of her eye._

"Shiho!" her boss called. "Are you working on the note I gave you this morning?"  
She stealthily covered her manuscript under the work she was given.

"Yes sir!" she replied.

"That's good," he said. "Apparently there is some hubbub going on with Suna and we are sending them a coded message incase the carrier bird is intercepted."  
"I am almost done," she said as she adjusted her glasses.

Then she waited as she watched him from the corner of her eye.

_Five, four, three, two, one,_ she counted down to herself.

That is about as much time as it took for her boss to lose interest and pick up his book. Sure enough, by the end of the countdown he had picked up his book and begun to continue reading _Tales of the Drunken Rounin._ She uncovered the manuscript and began where she had left off.

_Then a man appeared, rising from the ground unsteadily as he leaned against his sword for support. She covered her mouth and gasped; her wide brown eyes were moist with tears. A small cry escaped her lips as she reacted to the sight before her. It was Jirobe, who held his side and grimaced in pain as he struggled to rise to his feet. __Even in the silver light, it was apparent that his kimono was stained red._

_Tame rushed out of the door and ran to this side. She wrapped his free arm around her shoulder._

_"Lean on me, Jirobe-san, you are injured," she whispered._

"Oi Shiho! What are you writing?"  
The voice was very familiar and it made her heart flutter with nervousness. She covered the manuscript with the algorithmic code before replying.

"Oh, nothing really. I am just writing a bit of nonsense," she said as she adjusted her glasses. "How may I help you, Shikamaru?"  
"I came for the code we asked for this morning. Is it done?"  
"It should be," her boss replied for her. "Since she's been working on that silly fanfiction all morning."

"You write fanfiction?" Shikamaru asked.  
"As I said, it was a bit of nonsense," she replied, trying to hide her mortification. "Anyway, I've been done with the code for hours."

He pointed to the papers that were placed over the desk.  
"Are these they?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied and handed him the papers, unwillingly exposing her shame.  
"Lean on me, Jirobe-san…you are injured," Shikamaru began to read.  
"Stop that!" She cried. "It's not even done yet!"

She covered the papers with her arm.

"Oh come on, let me read it," he teased.  
"Absolutely not!"  
"I didn't know you were into anything creative," he pressed. "Here I thought you only liked numbers and codes."  
"Oh I do! But, I liked to write too and I want to write my own stories but these characters they inspire me so much…."  
She pressed her mouth tightly when she realized she had said too much.

"Well, promise to show me when you're done, OK?"  
"No."  
"No? But you're usually so compliant," he teased with a smirk.

Her boss rolled his eyes and groaned inwardly. Here they go again.

"You'll probably forget, anyway," she said with a huff.  
"No I won't. When I come back in three months, you better show me."

"Three months?" she asked.  
"I'll be gone on an extended mission."  
"To Suna?" she asked.

Her voice wavered as she asked, revealing her worry. Years ago, after she first met Shikamaru and love's arrow had pierced her through, she began a little investigation. Nothing scary, just the usual sniffing around most girls do when they are interested in someone they know very little about.

It didn't take many inquiries before she noticed a pattern. The same name kept on popping up: Temari. The word on the street was that they were in some sort of relationship, maybe even secretly dating although they were from different villages and barely saw each other. Well, at least that was the rumor. Nothing was confirmed, however.

Still, Shiho was broken hearted and resolved never to think of him again, as though he would look twice at her anyway. She was flat as a board and her thick blonde hair refused to stay put. Also her glasses where so thick and round that they hid her eyes. Besides, it's not as though she gave her personal appearance too much thought. Every time she resolved to get a makeover, some book or pursuit would distract her and she would forget. But her heart refused to listen and on she continued with her feelings. The worst part was that the better she got to know him, the stronger her feelings became. Sure, she tried to be interested in other men, but none of them were like him. It was such a bother.

"No, I will be infiltrating Rain Country for about three months. You know how it goes," he said offhandedly. "It's a bit of a pain but it's not something I can change, or would, for that matter."

"Well, come back in one piece."  
"I'll make sure to do that."  
"But if it is too safe, you'll get bored."

"Nah, I'll have my genin and the travel shogi board you gave me to keep me company."  
She blushed.

"Well, I'm off," he said with a nonchalant wave.  
"Goodbye," she called.

She sighed after he closed the door and breathed deeply, trying to calm her nerves.

_He is just a man,_ she thought._ I am being stupid. This is completely irrational._

_Slide._

The door opened once again and Shikamaru peeked in.

"Don't forget, Shiho! I'll be back in three months and you better have it finished," he declared one last time before closing the door abruptly and leaving them in peace.

"You should just ask him on a date and get it over with," her boss muttered after a few moments of silence.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said hastily. "Now, I am going to take my lunch."  
"Go right ahead. I think I'll take the rest of the day off…"

* * *

Later that night…

_"Water," Jirobe demanded between labored breaths.  
__"Please, let me bind your wounds," Tama pleaded.  
__"Quench my thirst."_

_Tama took one of her cups and filled it with cool water from a nearby cistern. She held it up to his lips gingerly, afraid to waste even one drop. As Jirobe's hand reached up to hold the cup; his fingers brushed her hands, eliciting a flutter of excitement._

_No, he is injured, Tame thought resolutely. I must not be distracted._

She paused in her writing and froze. A very sad fact struck her like a bolt of lightning, making it impossible for her to continue.

_This woman…is me!_ She realized with horror.

Shiho took her pen and marked a heavy "X" over the whole page, crumpled it up, and tossed it in the garbage.

"I'm so stupid," she murmured.

She was almost twenty-five and still she wrote that drivel. In three months he would come back, expecting something. Well, regardless of what he said it would not be _this_. Instead she would present him with something original. Perhaps it didn't matter if he loved her or not, but at the very least she wanted him to acknowledge her. He wanted him to think of her as something other than a woman who was hopelessly attracted to him.

_Of course he noticed. He must think I'm so stupid,_ she thought reufully. _Who wouldn't?_

Silly woman. He acknowledged her the very first day they met.

_"If I need anything, I will be back,"_ he said that day before leaving.

Her boss was flipping through some papers so he thought Shikamaru was talking to him. But he wasn't. Shikamaru had looked straight at her.

* * *

**AN:** I hope you guys liked it.

Who knows how she will be after she is developed a little further, if she is at all. I wonder how true my portrayal will remain.


	2. Chapter 2 The Conclusion

**AN: Don't own Naruto**

Remember, this is set about nine years after the possible end of Naruto. Shikamaru is about 25. Most of this chapter is for laughs. I hope everyone likes it.

**The Conclusion **

For the time that Shikamaru was in his extended mission, every morning Shiho would wake up and cross a date on her calendar, marking the square pegs thick red lines of impatience. Meanwhile, she feverishly worked on her modest epic, writing and rewriting the scenes that would best capture the feelings she wanted to invoke.

Even though she had come to the painful conclusion that there was something pathetic about her, something completely sad in her writing her own wishes subconsciously through a silly fanfic, she had promised to show it to him when he returned. That promise, and the wish to not disappoint him, drove her to complete her narrative. The more she considered what it was that disappointed her in the first place, the more she began to alter her story into what she thought would be the most realistic conclusion.

About a week before his scheduled return, she was sitting in a room the Otaku Club of Konoha rented in the library. The club was rather small, consisting of a few teenagers, one creepy pervert leader, and two others of her age group. One was in the club room with her. Hyuuga Hinata, the future clan head of the Hyuuga, sat with quiet dignity as she waited for Shiho to ask the inevitable. The second had not arrived yet.

"So you want me to read over the latest chapter?" Hinata asked softly after losing her patience.

"If you please," Shiho replied.

"I would be happy to," Hinata stated.

Hinata took the pages and began to read while Shiho sat beside her nervously, anxious for the assessment. As Hinata began to read the chapter, it was the last, her face took on a perplexed look.

"I don't understand," Hinata said. "I thought you hated that pairing."  
"What pairing?" Shiho asked.

"JiroSen. I thought you were a fan of the long-shot, JiroTame."

"I am, but I thought of what would be the most realistic ending of the story. So even after Tame saves Jirobe from death, I don't think she would have enough sway in his heart," she explained.

Hinata's observant, sensitive eyes noticed a hint of sadness in Shiho's countenance when she said this, as though she were not talking about a fictitious pairing but something personal. The lavender-eyed beauty set down the pages on the table and sighed.

"What is this really about, Shiho? Do you..."

The door burst open and Tenten jumped in with her usual enthusiasm.

"You're not writing more of that sentimental mushy stuff, are you?" Tenten asked as she glanced at the pages.

"It's not sentimental mushy stuff!" Shiho declared emphatically. "It is romance. There is a difference."

"Difference-shmiference," Tenten said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Maybe you shouldn't bother with pairings at all. A glance here, a conversation there, and people think that because one's a girl and the other's a guy they're going out! What ever happened to friendship?"

"Well, there is a little bit more than that with Tame," Hinata explained in Shiho's defense. "The story even staid she had feelings for him."  
"Yeah but she barely spends any time..."

Tenten stopped arguing when she realized she was being suckered into a pairing debate, over a shonen work, no less! While Tenten was muling over her mortification, Hinata sat there with a look of veiled triumph. Yet Tenten was not one to be unsettled for long. After a few moments, her initial surprise melted into a look of puckish mischief.

"What to see which pairing will be picked by the manga-ka?" she asked with a wink.

"How could we possibly see that?" Shiho asked skeptically.

Tenten pulled out a deck of cards from one of her side packs.

"Tarot!" she exclaimed with glee.

"What? Tarot?" Shiho cried. " Absolutely not! We have arrived in a point in history when such superstitious nonsense is rendered obsolete!"

"Superstitious nonsense! Listen this may be superstitious but it isn't..."  
"Now, Shiho," Hinata broke in gently, trying to stave off the old argument. "There is nothing wrong with doing something for fun."

"What? Are you scared?" Tenten challenged.

"Scared, of what? Random card selection 'telling me' the future of my favorite pairing? Ridiculous!"

"Um...we really shouldn't fight," Hinata said. "We are all friends here, right? Tenten, maybe you shouldn't tease Shiho like that..."

"Yeah, let's just wait until Kakashi gets here so we can get the meeting rolling," Tenten conceded. "Besides, maybe your story isn't so bad."

"You never know until you read it!" Shiho said with a wide grin, pretending Tenten had not read the last nine chapters.

Tenten reluctantly picked up the manuscript while muttering something about fangirls before she began to read it, pretending not to enjoy it. While Tenten read the manuscript, Hinata and Shiho waited for the club leader. They noticed that the room was conspicuously empty of the teenagers. Maybe this was one of those "adult only" meetings. The person they were waiting for was late, as usual and Shiho sighed, wishing she had brought a book with her.

The room was dim, lit only with the natural golden light that peeked from small, narrow, windows near the ceiling. Light flooded from each window, causing the golden light to cascade in small beams.

Shiho looked up and watched as the small flecks of dust danced in one of the beams. She hated dust. It was dirty, made up of gross things like skin cells, and collected on her precious collectibles. But even dust, in the light, could look beautiful.

_I wonder if anyone would ever find beauty in me, _she wondered.

The door opened and Kakashi finally entered holding his favorite book, followed by a person they were not expecting. Shiho's glasses covered eyes widened and her heart thumped so loudly she wondered why the four others showed no sign of hearing it.

"Yo!" Kakashi greeted. "I'm sorry I was late but Shikamaru stopped me on the way here and insisted on coming."

"A valid excuse this time, I see," Tenten remarked.

Shikamaru gave a vague hello before entering and taking a seat directly in front of Shiho, crossed his arms, and gave her a nod.

As expected, it was an adult's only meeting. Now that the Make Out Paradise novels he so loved were no longer printing, Kakashi had extended his literary tastes to all sorts of other kinds of "adventure stories." Sure, they dealt with ninja, but these ninja somehow managed to get into situations where their clothes were being forcibly ripped from their bodies every five panels or so.

As Kakashi explained his latest discovery, Shikamaru seemed embarrassed by the whole ordeal. His lips were pursed unnaturally and his cheeks held a distinct, although dim, rosy glow. Hinata was similarly affected. She looked so red that that her face looked like it had been baked in the sun for hours. Tenten was not affected in the slightest.

Shiho, in her mortification of having to hear about perverted things before the guy she liked, sat up suddenly.

"Yes?" Kakashi asked, a little annoyed that he had been interrupted.

"Since Shikamaru is new to our club, why don't we talk about more generic material?"  
"But we were getting to the good parts!" Tenten complained.

"Um...I think that we should...I mean...a guy..." Hinata squeaked.

"What...are you saying I'm not a guy?" Kakashi asked, aghast.

"Well, you are but...but you're so old!" Hinata declared.

She immediately noted her slip up and covered her mouth.

"...I'm old?" Kakashi asked, deflated.  
His one exposed eyebrow was slanted back, showing signs of distress.

"You are not old," Tenten declared with impatience.

"Age differences matter less the older we get," Shikamaru mused.

Shiho pretended she could dismiss what his words implied, but she could not.

"I'm sorry..." Hinata said.

She began to fiddle with her hands, showing her nervousness.

"It's alright," Kakashi said. "But I think that the whole mood of this meeting has been lost. Why don't we go out for lunch instead?"

"It's my turn to call where we'll eat!" Tenten declared.

"I hate your favorite foods," Shiho grumbled.

After lunch, which Shiho only ate a few scraps off, they went their separate ways. Shiho fully expected to go home alone but to her surprise, Shikamaru asked to escort her. She conceded nervously, wandering if someone was conspiring against her or if she was in the middle of a practical joke. Silence filled their way home at first as Shikamaru walked beside her, hands in his pockets, looking bored and apathetic.

"So," she began. "How was your trip?"  
"Long. My genin are a pain in the ass."

"I see."  
"But I love them all the same," he said with a yawn. "I am looking forward for this time off."

"Are you planning to go anywhere?" She ventured to ask.

"No. Why would I? I've been gone for nearly three months!"

"Just wondering," she said. "So why did you decide to go to our club meeting? I didn't think you liked manga."

"I don't but I figured that was the place to go if I wanted to find you outside of work. You promised you would have that story ready by the time I got back."  
"Well, the last chapter is complete and with me but the rest of it is at home."

"I figured it was; that's why I asked to walk you home," he explained.

His lips were parted in a small smile.

"When we get home, you may borrow the rest and read it when you like."

"Or I can just read it there. I'm a speed reader, so it shouldn't take long."

She blushed crimson. Shikamaru was going to be in her house! Reading her horrible fanfiction! Sitting on her couch! This was almost too much for the poor woman to take.

"You don't mind, do you?" Shikamaru asked. "Because if you do..."

"I don't mind..." she interrupted.

Inside she was frantically thinking of all the things she did not want him to see. There were the tampons she bought because of her looming Aunt Flo. Had she put the package away? The clothes hamper was full. It shouldn't be a problem but if he decided to use her bathroom, he may get a full view of her hamper and its contents, which included bras and panties!

"Here we are," she declared with forced cheeriness. "Come in and make yourself at home. Would you like some tea?"

She opened the door and let him in.

"I'm sorry for the mess," she said apologetically.

Shikamaru examined his surroundings with a cocked eyebrow. The floor was swept and mopped, every surface was waxed free of dust, and the only misplaced item was a coffee cup on the coffee table that was probably left there in a hasty rush to the door that morning. The room was so clean, it practically glittered.

"Its...fine..." he said.

"I'll get the rest of the story."

Shiho lay the last chapter on the coffee table.

"Take your time," he said.

She picked up the mug with obvious nervousness and then rushed to the kitchen. He heard her wash the cup hastily before her soft footpads descended to her bedroom. While he was alone, he began to inspect the room in earnest. His critical eye caught every detail.

There were few decorations, but that was to be expected. She was not ornate in her appearance, which would follow that she wouldn't be when it came to her decor. However, he was very surprised at how neat and organized everything was. No complaints on his part, but he expected a home as disheveled and unkempt as she was. Perhaps he had misjudged her. Her lack of interest in her personal appearance was because, being intelligent, her mind was preoccupied with other things. This was something he understood perfectly. Unlike the rest of his graduating class, he had kept the standard Konoha uniform throughout the years, not wanting to bother with fashion. There were more important things to think about. However, his room was messy because he didn't really pay attention to his immediate surroundings, being more interested in puzzles and games of logic. But apparently, she was the sort who liked order, valuing logic and reasoning above all else, and it reflected well in her surroundings even though she did not extend such value to her own person. Did this indicate an individual who was secure in all aspects of her life except what was most personal?

The room had no television. Good, he didn't like television. It turned people into zombies. Instead, it featured an expansive bookshelf brimming with titles comprising of every subject imaginable including history, philosophy, religion, the arts, and even some on poetry. Then one book caught his eye. It was a cookbook and from the looks of it, since its edges were worn and a few of the pages were bent, it had been well-loved. He perused it methodically. Most of the recipes were acceptable. He certainly had no complaints if she could cook the meals listed.

Shiho's steps could once again be heard softly against the wooden floor, nearing the living room. In a blink of an eye he placed the book back on the shelf and was sitting on the couch, with a manufactured look of boredom. When she entered, she had no clue that her living space had been analyzed to the minutest detail. He observed that her hair had been brushed.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," she said as she handed him the manuscript.

"It wasn't long at all."

Shikamaru did not lie when he stated he was a speed reader. Her story was rather long at one hundred and fifty pages, although not as long as she wanted, and he flew through each page in less than a minute. Another person may have been insulted, thinking that he was not paying proper attention, but she knew better. Not only did he absorb all the details, he was probably imagining the story in perfect clarity.

"Well," Shikamaru said as he finished the last page. "This story wasn't half bad."  
"Praise indeed," she said with a sniff.

"I have to say I am surprised that you ended it the way you did."

"Oh? How do you mean?"

"Well, while reading the story it was very clear you were rooting for Tame. Not only was she the main character in this fic, but she was also presented in a very sympathetic light. And yet in the end, it is Sen who is given the most hope although it has a rather open-ended conclusion."

"Ah, well, the reason I did that is because out of the three girls he could possibly end up with, the consensus is that he'll end up with Sen. That is why I wrote that ending."

"I see," he mused. "Well, I'm not familiar with the story but has anything conclusive happened yet?"

"Well, no."

"So how do you know it's going to end that way?"  
"Well it's just that all the evidence..."

"Listen, most stories have a pattern, right? And because they follow a particular pattern one can guess the ending of nearly every story in existence. I think fiction is boring for that very reason, to be honest."

"I know, most of it is very predictable."  
"Do you like reading predictable stories?"  
"Not really..."  
"And is the author predictable?"

Shiho laughed.

"Most of the time. It is shonen you know. But sometimes, he does throw us a curve ball that doesn't fit the general mold of the genre."  
"So there is a small possibility that he will not follow the pattern?"  
"Yes," she said with a sigh.  
"So why have you lost hope?"

"Because...because it seems that for someone like Tame, her feelings will always be unrequited."

"You don't know that," he said with a wink. "Heck, she may be the one with the happy ending in the end."

There was something in his tone that began to worry her. It seemed that they were no longer talking about the story. His brown eyes were gazing at her playfully, as though he was pulling a prank.

It couldn't be! It couldn't be that he had noticed the subconscious self-reflexion her story contained.

"It may be," she replied cautiously. "But I am perfectly content with whatever the author wishes."

He rested his head against his hand and sat back, relaxed.

"I don't think 'contented' is the word you're looking for. I believe the correct word is, 'resigned.'"

"No!" she declared passionately. "I will be content with whatever he decides. After all, I care about him and I will support his happi..ne..ss..."

Her voice trailed off as she realized she had let the cat out of the bag. She had spoken too much. Oh well, there was no reason she should stop there. There was no way she could make an even bigger fool of herself after what she just did.

"After all, if he is happy, then I am happy. No matter...no matter how much it would pain her at first!"

Shiho clamped her mouth shut and waited for the inevitable derisive laughter that was sure to follow. The derisive laughter did not come.

"Good answer," he praised. "Well, I'm sorry but I have go. There is some work I need to do and I can't laze about all day like I used to."

There was only the merest hint of regret in the tone of his voice when he said that.  
"Of course. I have to work in an hour myself," she said.

"But before I go, I was wondering if you'd like to play some shougi with me later on. You do like to play...shougi don't you? Maybe tomorrow?"

"That sounds like fun!"  
"Also my mother said she'd like to meet you. If the prospect doesn't seem too scary, I can tell her that dinner...would be acceptable?"  
"But how does your mother know I exist?"  
"I told her. We've known each other what, nine years?"

"But why would she want to meet _me_?"

"Clan business."

"Clan business?" she murmured to herself, confused.

Why would they want to have her for dinner for clan business? What connection could she possibly have to the Nara clan? Her eyes bulged as the implication set in.

"Clan business!" she declared loudly, barely masking her excitement. "Yes! I would love to have dinner with her."

"My father will be there too, although I always have to warn people about her first. Don't worry, he'll be a good deal less troublesome than she is."

"What should I wear? I...don't have many nice clothes."  
"Doesn't matter. She's not Hokage you know. We'll, I'm off. See you tomorrow around five for shougi, then?"

"Yes!"

"Well, you have a good day."

"You too! Goodbye, Shikamaru. "  
"Goodbye."

He turned to the door and opened it, but then paused before leaving.

"Remember, life isn't like a story. The end is up to you," he declared.  
With a confident grin he disappeared into hustle and bustle of their village, leaving behind a thousand happy possibilities, one for each day yet unwritten.

_-Fin_


End file.
